Hogan Takes Tax Fight To The High Court

Crocodile Dundee star Paul Hogan has refused to back down in his battle with Australian tax authorities - he has vowed to take his fight to keep his finances private to the country's High Court.The Australian actor, who lives in California, has been subjected to a five-year investigation into his accounts amid accusations he channelled millions of dollars into offshore tax havens. The Australian Crime Commission launched a probe amid claims of a "scheme or conspiracy" between Hogan and his financial adviser, Tony Stewart, to distort his residency status to avoid paying tax. Hogan, who has denied the accusations, is now fighting the commission's bid to make his financial records public. Last year (08) an Australian Federal Court judge made a ruling that would have allowed the documents to be released, and Hogan's legal challenge to the decision was rejected at a hearing on Friday (19Jun09). Hogan's lawyers have now vowed to take their appeal to the High Court, meaning the documents will not be released until the second appeal is concluded. Hogan's attorney, Francois Kunc, insists the long process of taking the case to the country's highest legal authority will not "diminish" the public interest, warning the court, "Pandora's box will have been opened and no one will be able to get Pandora back in." The Australian Crime Commission has refused to comment on whether the probe into Hogan's tax affairs is ongoing.